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So, I just had my first dose of vaccination done (Pfizer)! Not bad. My head was conjuring up terrible scenarios before the injection, but so far so good, Alhumdulillah.

****

Ahad

I drove, not thinking straight. 

I tried to focus on the road, but it was impossible. I was shaken to the point that tears were freely streaming down my face. I was mentally taken back to the night when my parents had been killed in the car crash.

I was frozen in shock, but I remember Zo and Nazia Bhai crying. I remember Bhai trying to remain strong, but had lost control at simply seeing Papa's coffee mug in the kitchen. I remember Zafar rushing about, sorting out all formalities so that Bhai and I didn't have to worry too much. I remember reuniting with Jazzy when Zafar and Fariha had driven her home from the airport. I remember that despite all the pain, despite the heartbreak, having Arhaan Bhai and Jasmina had comforted me so, so much. I at least had them, the living reminders of my parents. 

And now I had to relive that nightmare again. Now my siblings...

I swallowed hard. No. They'll be okay, In Sha Allah. 

I arrived at the airport, and suddenly I felt sick. The nausea that had been developing inside me since the initial call from the police, pushed all limits, forcing me to rush out of the car and throw up in a bin. No matter how old you are, it's not easy to lose a loved one.

Once I was satisfied that my insides were cleared out, I went back to the car, and grabbed the mints that I kept in the glove compartment. Usually I kept them in there when I got home from work, before I greeted Zo. And today I needed them because I had thrown up out of fear of losing my siblings.

"Ahad!" 

I was leaning against the car, eyes closed, when I heard my best friend's voice. I opened my eyes and turned to see Zafar walking towards me from his car. "Zaf... what happened?"

"I just got here. Let's go." He grimly nodded towards the airport terminal.

"Why are we here?" 

He didn't answer, just strode towards the building, a policeman on duty. 

"Look, Zaf, I know that I still look young and handsome, but I'm almost fifty." I told him. "Just tell me clearly what the heck is going on, and how are my siblings?" 

"I have always respect Arhaan Bhai like an older brother." He simply replied. "And Jasmina Bhabi? Well, I have a great deal of respect for her as a Bhabi." 

"Get to the point and just answer my question, Zaf!" I snapped.

"Just come with me." He was being melodramatic and it was p*****g me off.

Why the f**k where we at the airport, and not at the hospital?

Zafar led me to a darker corridor, and showed his ID to a security guard there. We went down the corridor and stood in front of an office. The door was opened and I peered inside, curiously.

To my utter surprise, I saw my siblings sitting there, speaking to a senior airport official.

****

EARLIER

Jasmina

My homesickness took a back seat when I saw Arhaan Bhai at the airport. It was always such a wonderful feeling to see my brothers. They were my maika now, after my parents' deaths,  and I realise that even know my maika held great importance to me. It weirdly reminded me that I was also my own person, and not just someone's wife, mother or daughter-in-law.

"How are you, Jazzy?" Bhai patted my head.

"Alhumdulillah." I smiled at him. "Is your beard actually whiter?" 

He laughed. "I'm not a young man anymore, Jazzy. I'm a father of four, a father-in-law. Ma Sha Allah!" 

"Ma Sha Allah!"

"How's family?" He took my trolley from me and began to push it towards the car parking. "How's Fatima Aunty feeling now? Fawad told me that she has grown weaker lately." 

"Yes, she even finds it hard to get out of bed. I actually have to force her these days to come downstairs for a while. It's not good for her to stay locked up in her room all day." 

"If Ammi was still here, she would have been a good company for her." Bhai smiled, sadly.

"Definitely."

"How are Hani and Mani? What about Hamza? Is everything going okay for him and Hania?" 

"Yes, Alhumdulillah." It wasn't my news to tell, even though I was eager to share it with my family. But this was Hania and Hamza's right, and I was going to wait until they shared the news. "I feel that Fawad and I are lucky to have a son-in-law like him. Yes, he messed up in the beginning, but which one of us hasn't messed up, Bhai?" 

"True." Bhai said. "As long as he's on the right path now, and taking care of our girl." 

"My motherly heart is satisfied, which should be enough for everyone." I said, jokingly.

"I actually agree, Jazzy." He turned to look at me. "Aur hamara gadha kaisa hai?"

*"And how is our donkey?" 

"Aap donon sahi best friends hain. Woh bhi mujhe keh rahe thay ke aapko kahon ke aap ab bhi gadhay hain." I shook my head.

*"You guys are rightfully best friends. Even he asked me to tell you that you're still a donkey." 

He chuckled. "Onnay nai sudhar na!"

*"He won't improve!"

It pleased me to see such close friendship between my husband and Arhaan Bhai, even now. Their friendship had briefly been damaged by Sadia Bhabi, but now they were as strong as ever. It was even more important for me after Papa's death, because Arhaan Bhai had stepped up as a fatherly figure for both me and Ahad Bhai, so of course I would want him to get along with Fawad even more. 

Arhaan Bhai loaded up my luggage as I sat in the front passenger seat. Coming to Lahore still made my heart ache a little, even after so many years. It was still hard to believe that Ammi wouldn't be greeting me at the door, excitedly. The Sheikh family home will always had that dark void left behind by my parents.

As were driving away, I realised something. "Bhai, did you leave my handbag in the car boot along with the rest of my luggage?" 

"No, just the big bags." He frowned.

"My bag was hanging from the luggage trolley. I forgot to take it off." My eyes widened.

"I didn't take it off either." He groaned. "Jazzy, what do you do? You're a mother to grown up girls, and a mother-in-law. Ab to cheezon ka dehaan rakhna seekhlo!" 

*"At least now learn to take care of things!"

It was funny, because when I travelled with family, I kept everything close and protected. Everyone handed me their passports and boarding passes, even my husband. They knew that I could keep them safely. And yet, here I was, travelling alone, having left my handbag behind at the airport.

Bhai parked the car on a hard shoulder. "Let me check the car boot just in case." 

"Be careful!" I looked at him wide-eyed. Hard shoulders could be very risky places. Cars were driving with speed on the motorway, plus there was some fog. 

Bhai returned a few moments later. "Your bag is not in there."

"We have to go back, Bhai!" I told him. "My passport, my phone, my everything is in there!" 

He nodded, and turned the key in the ignition. The car started up weakly, but then the engine died down. "Ya Allah! I forgot to fill up the petrol!" He banged his fist against the steering wheel. "Naz kept reminding me, even as we went on a drive last night." 

"That just proves that you should listen to your wife." I pointed out.

"I'll call a cab. We can head back to the airport first, and maybe call Ahad from there. He can come and pick us up, and he can also arrange for someone to sort my car out." 

Bhai booked a cab on his phone, and we only got out of the car when it was right there beside us. 

I was panicked, and Bhai was trying to calm me down, so I guess it slipped our minds to call Ahad Bhai.

We had no idea how much drama was caused because of this one slip-up of ours, resulting in my family across the world completely flipping out worrying about me.

****

I, unsurprisingly, didn't find my bag anywhere. Bhai even checked where he had left the trolley. 

"I hung it on the trolley while collecting the bag." I told him. "Allah! Bhai, what am I going to do? I'm basically useless without my bag. It has all my important things." 

"Don't worry. If worse comes to worst, we'll contact Zafar and get his help." Bhai said. "For now, let's go speak to the airport management." 

And so, the next couple of hours were spent trying to locate my bag. The airport management was going to search CCTV footage to see if they can locate it. Nobody had handed it in to lost and found.

I, naturally, had an anxiety attack and started crying. "How could I be so stupid?" 

"Jazzy, relax, don't worry. We'll find it, In Sha Allah." 

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un." I muttered. This was the dua we recited when hearing about someone's death, or when we lost something and were searching for it. 

"Let me contact Zafar." Arhaan Bhai reached for his phone. "And Ahad. I'm pretty sure everyone must be panicked about our whereabouts by now. By this time we could have been halfway to Rawalpindi, let along home." 

But I was in too much a panic mode to care. I knew that at the end of the day it wasn't as terrible for me here as it would have been if I had been a tourist in a foreign country. After all, I had family here. But if I couldn't get my passport back in time, my trip back home will be delayed, and I didn't want that. 

It's okay. Imagine that Hani was in my place, or Iman. What would you advice them? You would ask them to think logically and not panic. I'm not alone. My big brothers, my Bhabis are here. My Nand's husband is a senior police officer. I'm not alone. I'm not alone.

"I need to call Fawad." I told Bhai. "Can I please borrow your phone once you've called Zafar Bhai and Ahad Bhai?" 

He nodded.

Fawad must be freaking out as well, not having heard from me after almost three after my flight landed. 

Arhaan Bhai spoke to Zafar Bhai. By this time, I was so exhausted that I was dozing off, even as we sat in the office of the airport manager. He had gone to speak to someone regarding the search for my bag, whereas I sat in the office with my eldest brother. 

Time passed by and my panic increased as I thought about making various trips to government offices to have a new passport made. I'd have to call my banks in the UK to cancel my various cards. I mentally searched through my absent bag in my mind, thinking about all the things that were in there.

And then I gasped. No!

My decades old moun-dikhai gift was in there, the one I had placed in there to avoid the beeping as I cleared the airport scanners at Heathrow. The simple, but gorgeous, rose-gold necklace with a heart pendant that was encrusted with tiny diamonds. Fawad's first present to me as my husband. The necklace had more value to me than anything else in my bag, including my passport. 

For once, Fawad will completely lose it with me. Not only must have I caused him anxiety, but I had done something so stupid, so irresponsible. Something that I would have told Hania or Iman off for. God, I would have probably even told Fawad to be more careful, had he done something like this.

"Your bag has been located." The manager returned into the office. "One of the cleaning staff had taken it to the airline desk, seeing the airline tag on your bag." 

"Oh, Alhumdulillah!" I sighed in relief.

****

The manager offered us cold drinks, and I accepted the offer because my throat felt completely dry. 

My bag was now clutched against my chest after I'd ensured that everything was still in there, especially the necklace and my passport. 

As we sat in the office, Ahad Bhai and Zafar Bhai arrived.

"For the love of Allah, you two!" Ahad Bhai sighed in relief, as he strode over to us. He hugged Arhaan Bhai first, tightly and for a long time. "You both scared the s**t out of me." 

"We were here. What's the big deal?" Bhai looked confused. "You're acting like we've just returned from a war zone." 

Ahad Bhai and Zafar Bhai exchanged a grim looked.

"What?" I asked confused, as the former gave me a one-armed hug. 

"Bhai, your car has been completely smashed through." Zafar Bhai explained, looking at Arhaan Bhai. "We all actually thought..."

My eyes widened. "Oh my God." 

"You both are okay, right?" Ahad Bhai looked down at me, his tone softer. 

"We're fine. The car ran out of petrol, and..." I began to explain.

"That must have been, what? Hours ago? Why didn't either of you call us earlier?" Ahad Bhai suddenly sounded annoyed. "Nazia Bhabi is freaking out, as are the kids. And..." He looked at me, sheepishly.

My heart almost stopped. "What did you tell Fawad, Bhai?" 

"That there was an accident involving Bhai's car, and as far as we know, there's no sign of either of you." 

I slapped my palm against my forehead. "Oh God. I won't even be surprised if Fawad takes the first flight here now." 

 Why does drama always surround me? I'm in my late forties. I should be living a dull and boring life, not a dramatic one. I've already lived out plenty of drama in my younger years.

"I need to talk to my husband." I said to nobody in particular.

"And I should talk to my wife." Arhaan Bhai added.

We both were going to have two very unhappy spouses.

****

Fawad

When I got a video call from Ahad's number, I feared he worst.

I almost didn't want to answer it. I didn't want to see his grim face as he delivered me a news that I would probably never be able to recover from.

I have lost her. Just thinking that, I feel like all the light, all the goodness in my life is gone. It's dark, it's miserable, and I feel like even my heart is barely managing to function properly. Just enough to give me life, but not enough for me to actually live. Because I am feeling like my reason for living has parted ways with me.

Taking a deep breath, I answered the call. Whatever it was, I had to know. 

But I didn't see Ahad on the other end. I saw Mina, looking sheepish. I was stunned into speechlessness as I stared at her the messy hair curtaining her gorgeous face. She was biting her lower lip sheepishly, her eyes wide with anxiety. "Assalam Alaikum, Fawad." 

For a few more seconds, I couldn't speak at all. When I finally found my voice, all I could say was, "Mina, what the hell?" 

"I'm okay. I'm alive, and I have found my bag." She explained. "Arhaan Bhai is okay as well, Alhumdulillah." 

"Okay, care to explain?" 

She told me everything that had occurred, by the end of which my jaw was clenched with irritation, but I didn't start interrogating her yet because I wasn't sure if she was alone or not. No matter how p***ed I was at her, I wasn't going to tell her off in front of other people. My job was to protect her self-respect, her dignity, not to throw mud all over it. 

"We're going to talk later." I told her. "Call me when you're alone and rested."

"Fawad, I'm so sorry." She looked tearful. "I cannot even imagine the anxiety I would have caused you." 

"Me, Hania, Iman and Hamza." I corrected her.

"They know?!" She looked horrified. "Is Hania okay? What about Mani?" 

"I've handled it here." I told her. "Where's Arhaan?" 

"He's on the phone with Nazia Bhabi." She glanced to her left. "He has a lot of explanations to make as well." 

"Do you blame your Bhabi?" I raised an eyebrow.

But the truth was the seeing her alive and well had given me new life. My heart was pounding healthily again, my body energised. Her life was linked to mine, so as long as she was okay, I was as well. 

"Is that Mama?!" Hania's voice made me look up. She hurried into the living room where I sat, and came to sit beside me, smiling brightly. "Mama, are you okay?!" She glanced at my phone screen. 

"I'm okay, jaan. How about you?" 

Soon, we were joined by Iman, and I let the girls talk and headed up to my room, leaving the phone with them. 

First and foremost, I needed to thank my Creator for keeping my Mina and my best friend safe.  Yes, they both made an error, but they were both okay, and that's all that mattered right now.

****

Hania

"Papa, aap sojayain ab." I had come into his room with Iman, after Hamza had gone home. 

*"Papa, go to sleep now." 

"Exactly, Mama is fine and you've spoken to her." Iman added.

We stood there, practically shoulder to shoulder, like we used to as kids, when we wanted to request him to take us to Thorpe Park or Chessington. 

He sat on the bed, looking like he was barely managing to stay awake. "Come here." He nodded at us. 

We took a seat on either side of him, and he wrapped one arm around each of us. 

"Jasmina is okay, Alhumdulillah, but these kinds of incidents teach us never to take anyone for granted. Life is very unpredictable." He began. "Hania, Iman, I'm going to tell you something that I hope you'll always remember, even long after I'm gone." 

"Papa!" I wrapped my arm around his waist, closing my eyes as I leaned against him. "May Allah bless you with good health and a long life. Ameen." 

"Ameen." Iman repeated. "And Mama too." 

"Yes, but life is not eternal." He said. "So, hear me out. It is in our religion to maintain blood ties, and I would advise you to always do so. Anger, arguments, all of this wastes time, and with such a short time on earth, we cannot afford to lose time in such a manner. Nobody's life is guaranteed, and so we must make sure that we must maintain good ties with our blood relations. Never, ever let petty things cause problems between yourself and someone related to you. And I included your husbands, or future husband in Mani's case, in this. If things had been different, I could have lost two of the most important people in my life. Mina and I have apologised to each other, as she was travelling, but I didn't get a chance to do so with Arhaan. Because sometimes, even unintentionally we end up hurting people, and sometimes we don't get to apologise. So it's best to live as harmoniously as possible with your loved ones, and even if arguments do happen, which is natural, clear it up as soon as possible and not let ego get in the way. Always, always remember my words, okay?" 

"I'm sorry, Papa." Iman was in tears. "I'm sorry for every anxiety that I have caused you and Mama. I'm sorry that you and Mama were worried and stressed because of me. After almost losing her today, I'll definitely heed your words without even thinking twice about it." 

"And I'm sorry, Mani, if I unintentionally caused you to feel less loved." I said.  Then I looked up at Papa. "I'm sorry that I have to be strict with you, but go to sleep now." 

Iman giggled and even my father smiled.

****

Iman

It was hours later that I discovered that my father was actually very p***ed off with Mama. I was just heading downstairs after a nap, when I heard his voice coming from the living room.

"Itni badi laaparwahi kaise hogayi tum donon se?" He was asking. "Bag to ghum gaya, laikin Arhaan ke through to phone ho sakta tha na. Wahan Sheikh family, aur yahaan hamari jaan nikal rahi thi, is ghalti ki wajah se."

*"How did you two act so carelessly?"
"You lost your bag, but you could have called using Arhaan's phone. The Sheikh family  there, and here us, we were all losing our minds with worry due to this mistake."

"Main panic hogayi thi, Fawad. Mera sab zaroori samaan us main tha. Main nahin seedha soch rahi thi." Mama's voice came through, most likely on a video call.

*" I panicked, Fawad. All my important things were in there. I wasn't thinking straight." 

"Tumhare us panicking ke chakar main Hani ko kuch ho jata, Khuda na Khwasta? Aur Mani bhi behosh ho gayi thi. Jawan bachiyon ki maa ho, samajdari se kaam laina chahiye tha." He wasn't speaking in an angry tone, even though it was obvious that he was furious. He was actually speaking as calmly and politely as usual, with just a dash of irritation mixed in his voice. 

*"Due to your panicking, what if something had happened to Hani, God forbid? And Mani fainted as well. You are the mother of young adult daughters, you should have acted sensibly." 

I froze. I'd never heard him tell her off. Normally, my parents kept their issues and arguments inside their bedroom, but I knew how tensed he was. I could have understood the trauma he had gone through, simply at the idea of losing her. 

I felt like going downstairs and acting like a lawyer for each side, but I've been told since a very young age, that kids should not involve themselves in an argument between their parents. Physical and domestic abuse was a whole different category of course, but that didn't apply here. 

"Mera dimagh kaam nahin kar raha tha, Fawad. Aur main kyun jaan booch ke Hani ke saath woh honay doongi jo mere saath hua tha?" Mama's voice stopped as I headed back upstairs. "Apne Maa Baap ke saath maine apna bacha khoya tha, aur main kabhi nahin chahoon gi ke poori zindagi main meri betiyon ko woh dard ho jo mujhe hua tha." 

*"My mind wasn't working, Fawad. And why would I want Hani to experience what I'd gone through?"
"Along with my parents, I lost my child, and I would never want my daughters to go through that pain in their entire lives."

I pressed my hands against my mouth, shocked.

Mama had a miscarriage when she lost her parents?

I sank down on the steps, silently crying. How many times had I told her that she didn't care about me, or that she didn't care about the fact whether I lived or died? 

Suddenly, I realised that my words might have seemed like the piercing of a dagger against her heart. How many times had I metaphorically stabbed my own mother which such cruel words, after she had lost a child?

"Ya Allah." I whispered, before getting up and rushing upstairs to my room.

I performed ablution and sank down on the ground in prayer. I had a lot to apologise to Allah for, as well as my parents. I'd unintentionally hurt her in a way that had probably brought me a one-way ticket to hell for all eternity. 

As I pressed my forehead against the ground in sajda, I was sobbing hard. 

Allah, please forgive me. These dramatic events have actually become a very valuable life lesson for me. I would die before I take my parents for granted again, and may my soul be cursed for eternity if I ever hurt my mother intentionally again.

****

Hania

I was happy. 

I was humming as I made fresh orange juice for the whole family. 

Mama was okay, Hamza had just told me that Uncle was making rapid recovery as per the doctor, and of course, I had so much to look forward to with my baby. In Sha Allah.

Papa came into the kitchen, looking like he was in a rush. "I have to go, jaan. There's an emergency at the hospital." He headed to the coffee maker and switched it on before grabbing a travel flask from the cupboard.

He looked tensed, and it was probably not just because of the surgery.

"Follow your own advice, Papa. Clear it up as soon as possible. She's okay, and she means too much to you for you to stay mad at her." I told him. "She was sad when she left from here, then she panicked when she lost her bag. She was in an anxious state, so please let it go." Mama had told us everything that had happened, and even though I knew there had been an error, I could also understand her anxious state. I would have freaked out too if I had lost my passport and wallet abroad, even in Pakistan.

"Hani..." He sighed, turning his back towards me.

"Kabhi kabar bachay bhi sahi advice detay hain, Papa." I whispered. "And you and Mama mean the world to be, so I will be annoying if I have to be, just to make sure that you guys clear things up." 

*"Sometimes kids also give the right advice, Papa."

"We almost lost her, Papa. Let's not focus on what she did wrong, but let's just focus on the fact that she's alive and well." I grabbed his hand. 

"You're going to be a great mother, In Sha Allah." He looked at me, with pride. "Meri choti si Hani main itni wisdom?"

*"So much wisdom in my little Hani?"

"Maa Baap se sikha hai. Suna hai baday samajdar hain woh dono, aur woh dono choti choti baaton ko apna rishta kharab kabhi nahin karne detay." I smiled.

*"I learnt it from my parents. I heard that they were very wise people, and that they don't let small things ever ruin their relationship."

"You're right." He nodded. "Kuch zayada hi daant diya maine bechari ko. Ab manana bhi paday ga."

*"I have scolded the poor woman too much. Now I have to pacify her."

"You're the great Fawad Ali. You'll always succeed in pacifying Mrs Jasmina Fawad. You should probably hold classes to teach husbands how to do so." I joked.

"Would Hamza attend?" He asked, amused.

"Hamza doesn't need those classes. He's a great husband." I blushed, glancing down at the floor.

"You have no idea how happy I am, hearing that." He patted my head. "I'll talk to your mother soon, In Sha Allah. But keep this up, Hania. Remain as wise as this. Wisdom is definitely required in maintaining certain relationships, like marriage." 

"I love you, Papa." I kissed his cheek.

"Love you too, meri jaan." He grabbed his coffee mug and rushed out.

May Allah always keep my parents' relationship strong. May they always remain happy together, and as much in love as ever. Ameen.

****

So, a very dramatic chapter, but with important life lessons!

Don't take your loved ones for granted.

When you say harsh words, you might not have any idea how deeply it would hurt the other person.

Always try to maintain your blood ties. 

Thoughts and comments?

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